What is needed is a device that is well-suited for use in cleaning and/or scrubbing the surfaces in showers and shower stalls. However, it should be appreciated that any such cleaning device must be versatile enough such that it can also be used in many other applications, such as cleaning and scrubbing kitchen or laundry areas or other household areas and surfaces or institutional locations, such as restaurants, nursing homes, hospitals, public restrooms, hotels and the like.
A surface, such as a wall of a shower or other portion of a house or structure, is typically cleaned using a sponge, a rag, a cloth, a paper towel or some other cleaning medium. In general, a cleaning solution with or without water is initially applied to the medium, or directly to the is surface, and the cleaning solution is then forcibly rubbed against the surface which is to be cleaned.
In many such situations, soap scum, mildew, mold and stains frequently occur in the area of a surface that cannot be reached using a conventional water source, or as in a shower, by aiming or repositioning the shower head. Additionally many harsh chemical treatments cannot be left on the wall of a shower for more than a few minutes.
While the foregoing cleaning approach may produce a clean surface, it suffers from some drawbacks. That is, this conventional cleaning approach requires frequent interruption for the application of additional cleaning solution or water to the cloth, rag, or towel, thereby undesirably lengthening the overall cleaning process and requiring a relatively large amount of paper towels or cloths to effectively clean a relatively large area since these towels are frequently damaged or destroyed and since the towels must be frequently cleaned. Additionally, the foregoing conventional approach requires the individual to stoop, bend, stretch, or otherwise contort their body in order to fully clean the entire surface or assembly, thereby increasing the likelihood of injury and increasing the amount of effort or work required to effectuate the cleaning. Most significant, however, is the fact that this method requires a user to use a separate means for post-cleaning rinsing of the surface.
Accordingly, it has been considered desirable to develop a new and improved hand-held cleaning and rinsing device which would overcome the foregoing difficulties and others while providing better and more advantageous overall results.